Ministry notice to AFI on elections

Continuing with its efforts to cleanse the system, the sports ministry issued a show-cause notice to the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) on Monday, asking the national sports federation (NSF) to explain its stand on certain issues related to the April polls, when the new office-bearers were elected for a term of four years.

Secretary, sports, PK Deb, told HT that there was no immediate move to de-recognise the federation. "We have asked the AFI to make its stand clear on certain issues," he said.

The Ministry's move comes on the heels of the Archery Association of India's (AAI) de-recognition and suspension of the Boxing Federation of India, for violation of the Sports Code.

Guidelines violatedAn AFI official said there was no violation of the Sports Code, but Rahul Mehra, a lawyer and sports activist, had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Delhi High Court, complaining that government guidelines had been violated during the polls.

The court had directed the ministry to file its reply by the second week of September. The ministry missed the deadline, the latest one being November 22.

Even as the ministry probes the AFI polls, treasurer, Satyanarayan, an employee of the Railways, has put in his papers.

The reason given was weak. "It is difficult for me to handle the functioning of the federation," said Satyanarayan. Secretary of the

Karnataka Athletics Association, he didn't throw light on the failure to take requisite permission from his employers before taking over as AFI treasurer.

The Satyanarayan issue, it is learnt, is one of the areas the ministry has sought clarification on. The election of secretary general, CK Valson, though unanimous, is also a source of concern. Valson, a former chairman of the AFI technical unit, had represented Tamil Nadu in the April polls.